Theos-Talk Archives (March 1996 Message tl00074)

FOUNDING.TXT

 From the first edition of ~Old Diary Leaves~ by H.S.Olcott,
published New York and London by G. P. Putnam's Sons, from
Madras, The Proprietors of the "Theosophist" 1895 (p.133 ff):

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As regards the drafting of the original By-laws, we took much
pains and drew up as good a set as any society could desire. The
Rules of various corporate bodies were examined, but those of
the American Geographical and Statistical Society and the
American Institute were thought by us to be as good models as
any to follow. All preliminaries being settled, we obtained
permission from Mrs. Britten that the next meeting should be
held at her private residence (no hall having as yet been
taken), and I issued (on post-cards) the following notice:

                The Theosophical Society.

                                NEW YORK, October 13, 1875.

The Committee on By-Laws having completed its work, a meeting of
the Theosophical Society will be held at the private residence,
No. 206 West 38th St., on Saturday, October 16, 1875, at 8 p.m.,
to organize and elect officers.  If Mr. Felt should be in town,
he will continue his intensely interesting account of his
Egyptological discoveries.  Under the By-Laws proposed, new
members cannot be elected until after thirty days' consideration
of their application.  A full attendance at this preliminary
meeting is, therefore, desirable.

The undersigned issues this call in compliance with the order
adopted by the meeting of September 13th ultimo.

(Signed) HENRY S. OLCOTT, President, pro. tem.


The copy of the original post-card sent by post by Sotheran to
H. P. B. I have, framed, at "Gulistan," and my own copy is also
in my possession.  Our Minute Book records the following persons
as present at this meeting in question:

"Mme. Blavatsky, Mrs. E. H. Britten, Henry S. Olcott, Henry J.
Newton, Chas. Sotheran, W. Q. Judge, J. Hyslop, Dr. Atkinson,
Dr. H. Carlos, Dr. Simmons, Tudor Horton, Dr. Britten, C. C.
Massey, John Storer Cobb, W. L. Alden, Edwin S. Ralphs, Herbert
D. Monachesi, and Francisco Agromonte.

"On behalf of the Committee on Preamble and By-Laws, the
Preamble was read by the chair, and the By-Laws by Mr. Chas.
Sotheran."

Mr. Massey was then introduced by the chair and made some
remarks; after which he was obliged to hurry away to the steamer
on which he was to sail for England.

Discussions ensued and various motions were made on the adoption
of the By-Laws; the final result being that the draft submitted
by the Committee was laid on the table and order printed. The
meeting then adjourned.  H. S. Olcott was Chairman and J. S.
Cobb Secretary of the meeting.

The next preliminary meeting was held at the same place on the
30th October. The Committee on rooms having reported, Mott
Memorial Hall, 64 Madison Avenue (a few doors only from our
recently purchased New York Headquarters), was selected as the
Society's meeting-place. The By-Laws were read, discussed and
finally adopted, but with the proviso that the Preamble should
be revised by H. S. Olcott, C. Sotheran and J. S. Cobb, and
then published as the Preamble of the Society.

Voting for officers was next proceeded with; and Tudor Horton
and Dr. W. H. Atkinson being appointed tellers of the Election,
the result was announced by Mr. Horton as follows:

President, HENRY S. OLCOTT; Vice-Presidents, DR. S.  PANCOAST
and G. H. FELT; Corresponding Secretary, MME. H. P. BLAVATSKY;
Recording Secretary, JOHN STORER COBB; Treasurer, HENRY J.
NEWTON; Librarian, CHARLES SOTHERAN . Councillors, REV. J. H.
WIGGIN, R. B. WESTBROOK, LL.D., MRS. EMMA HARDINGE BRITTEN, C.
E. SIMMONS, M.D., and HERBERT D. MONACHESI; Counsel to the
Society, WILLIAM Q. JUDGE.

The meeting then adjourned over to the 17th November, 1875, when
the perfected Preamble would be reported, the President Elect
deliver his Inaugural Address, and the Society be thus fully
constituted.

On the evening designated, the Society met in its own hired
room; the minutes of the previous meeting were read and
approved; the President's Inaugural Address was delivered and
ordered printed; upon Mr. Newton's motion, thanks were voted to
the President; and the Society, now constitutionally organised,
adjourned over to the 15th December.

Thus the Theosophical Society, first conceived of on the 8th
September and constitutionally perfected on the 17th November,
1875, after a gestatory period of seventy days, came into being
and started on its marvellous career of altruistic endeavour per
angusta ad augusta.  Inadvertently, in our first published
document, the Preamble and By-Laws of The Theosophical Society,
the 30th October was given as the date of organisation, whereas,
as seen above, it should properly have been November 17, 1875.

The foregoing narrative of the origin and birth of the Society
is very prosaic and lacks all the sensational and imaginative
features which have sometimes been ascribed to the event. It
has, however, the merit of being historically exact; for, as I
am writing history and not romance, I have stuck to the
evidences of our certificated records and can prove every point.


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